Thursday, November 29, 2012

While Daughter Alex is creating guest rooms, I write on being a guest! In this case being hosted by my dear friend from Toronto. For a long time my Northern gal pal has been working on me to go camping and canoeing in the Northwest Territories with Canoe North Adventures. She entices me with stories of raw natural beauty, white water thrills, blinding cold rain storms, the joy of sleeping on rocks and happy hours drinking White Russians. I haven't yet succumbed to the call of this particular wild, but this does not stop my Canuck ami from hoping I will one day be tent side. Knowing a luxurious experience would be infinitely more appealing to the husband and me, we were treated by said friend to a weekend at The Lodge at Pine Cove on the French River near Noelville, Ontario.

After a four hour drive from Toronto on a cold sunny day we arrived and were greeted by the owner, Alex, and his friendly dogs. We parked the car near the main lodge and our bags were transported to the cottages that dot Pine Cove. The lodge is big and welcoming with a bar, dining room, pool table, TV room and is dotted with lots of seating by big windows with views of the spectacular French River. Since this is a design blog, I will focus on the beauty of the place. But check out the history of the river on the The Lodge at Pine Cove website which includes booking and activity information.

Lodge Bar

Pool Table

We walked over a rustic wooden bridge. Bright canoes, gleaming in the sun, were piled high on the cove shore. Once in our cabin, we were charmed by the well laid out floor plan, the small but mighty wood burning stove, stoked to the gills, making our home for the next two days toasty. To my mind, thoughtful details are what takes a nice place to a great place... Besides being well equipped (tons of wood at the ready, glasses, corkscrews, fluffy towels, good storage space, plentiful pegs for hanging up coats, reading lights by the bed and by the chairs) there were local soaps in the bright white bathroom, colorful painted floors with matching trim on the windows...and lovely views.

View from our cabin's porch

Cabin Bedroom

Small and Mighty Stove

Canoes even when drinking!

Clever message in the loo!

Bright door trim with branch handles

During our fall visit the trees were brilliantly colored. We dined well each night in the Lodge. My husband and I were initiated into paddling by Aleksander Gusev, President of Wilderness Canoe Association and Lin Pace, partner/owner of Canoe North Adventures. It was a convivial educational weekend in the presence of a group of people who deeply love their country, its history, the beauty and the inspiration it affords them; and of course their passion for paddling!

I have to write of the delicious breakfast delivered to our doorstep each morning in an artful basket. Each morning noses were pressed up against the window glass waiting for the warm pain au chocolate to arrive with coffee! Hurrah. Even I can canoe after a breakfast like that!